Cost of Living Comparison Between Lachen and Lausanne Cost of Living Comparison Between Lachen and Lausanne

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,186 in Lachen versus $3,595 in Lausanne.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,928 in Lachen versus $5,762 in Lausanne.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,670 in Lachen versus $7,930 in Lausanne.

Living in Lachen costs roughly 11% less than in Lausanne, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lachen 137% above, Lausanne 167% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.19 CHF 24.09

$32.90 CHF 26.26

-8.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$149 CHF 119

$147 CHF 118

1.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.41 CHF 14.69

$19.29 CHF 15.40

-4.56%

Cappuccino

$6.15 CHF 4.91

$5.98 CHF 4.77

2.84%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.67 CHF 4.52

$5.33 CHF 4.25

6.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.19 CHF 4.14

$4.95 CHF 3.95

4.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.46 CHF 5.95

$9.60 CHF 7.66

-22.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.90 CHF 5.51

$8.72 CHF 6.96

-20.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.28 CHF 1.82

$2.18 CHF 1.74

4.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 CHF 2.09

$4.13 CHF 3.30

-36.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 CHF 1.93

$4.30 CHF 3.43

-43.72%

Eggs

$8.03 CHF 6.41

$7.03 CHF 5.61

14.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.06 CHF 22.39

$26.28 CHF 20.98

6.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.85 CHF 11.85

$28.86 CHF 23.04

-48.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.43 CHF 32.27

$51.6 CHF 41.22

-21.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 CHF 2.57

$3.62 CHF 2.89

-11.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 CHF 1.53

$2.10 CHF 1.67

-8.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.40 CHF 1.91

$2.95 CHF 2.35

-18.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.99 CHF 3.99

$6.67 CHF 5.32

-25.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.59 CHF 2.07

$2.52 CHF 2.01

2.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 CHF 1.81

$2.43 CHF 1.94

-6.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 CHF 2.06

$2.54 CHF 2.02

1.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 CHF 0.88

$1.47 CHF 1.17

-25.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.02 CHF 8.79

$11.16 CHF 8.90

-1.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.50 CHF 9.18

$16.23 CHF 12.95

-29.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 CHF 1.79

$2.11 CHF 1.68

6.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 CHF 1.91

$3.11 CHF 2.48

-23.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.92 CHF 3.13

$4.92 CHF 3.92

-20.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.3 CHF 78.4

$94.3 CHF 75.2

4.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.94 CHF 5.54

$7.89 CHF 6.30

-12.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.20 CHF 3.35

$3.28 CHF 2.62

28.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$80.0 CHF 63.8

$67.0 CHF 53.5

19.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 CHF 1.70

$2.25 CHF 1.79

-5.33%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$40.7K CHF 32.4K

$40.4K CHF 32.2K

0.68%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$42.2K CHF 33.6K

$41.8K CHF 33.4K

0.80%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$125 CHF 99.5

$325 CHF 259

-61.64%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$59.6 CHF 47.58

$50.8 CHF 40.55

17.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 CHF 42.87

$57.8 CHF 46.11

-7.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.9 CHF 69.3

$78.6 CHF 62.7

10.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.52 CHF 37.93

Cinema Ticket

$21.82 CHF 17.42

$26.56 CHF 21.20

-17.85%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,850 CHF 2,274

$2,833 CHF 2,261

0.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.1K CHF 27.2K

$33.8K CHF 27.0K

0.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 CHF 97.4

$108 CHF 86.0

13.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.0 CHF 52.7

$70.5 CHF 56.3

-6.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$155 CHF 124

$148 CHF 118

4.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$236 CHF 188

$184 CHF 147

28.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,666 CHF 1,330

$1,837 CHF 1,467

-9.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,457 CHF 1,163

$1,445 CHF 1,154

0.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,792 CHF 2,229

$3,615 CHF 2,885

-22.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,442 CHF 1,949

$2,906 CHF 2,319

-15.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.2K CHF 12.9K

$19.8K CHF 15.8K

-18.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.7K CHF 9,364

$14.3K CHF 11.4K

-18.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$10.1K CHF 8,030

$7,240 CHF 5,779

38.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.5

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lachen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Lausanne: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,666 in Lachen and $1,837 in Lausanne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lachen pays 39% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $149 in Lachen vs $147 in Lausanne. Groceries flip the comparison at $508 vs $652, with Lachen cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Lachen vs Lausanne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lachen wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Lausanne. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lachen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Lachen pays 39% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,666 in Lachen versus $1,837 in Lausanne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lachen runs roughly 4% less than in Lausanne. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,850 in Lachen versus $2,833 in Lausanne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Lachen is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lachen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,186 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lachen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lachen and Lausanne are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Lachen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Lausanne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.